Sussan also issued a statement eulogizing activists who have been on the forefront fighting for this milestone achievement in the country.

She said she was happy because those who will now use the plant to treat their diseases, will no long be treated like criminals.

“This is an historic day for Australia and the many advocates who have fought long and hard to challenge the stigma around medicinal cannabis products so genuine patients are no longer treated as criminals. This is the missing piece in a patient’s treatment journey and will now see seamless access to locally-produced medicinal cannabis products from farm to pharmacy,” Sussan said.

CNN reports that patients who are waiting to use marijuana to treat their diseases, have praised the government for finally reasoning with them.

Daniel Haslam

In February 2015, 25-year-old Daniel Haslam lost his life to terminal bowel cancer. Before his death, somebody had recommended marijuana as an alternative treatment for his cancer.

Although he did not survive the disease, his mother, Lucy Haslam, later revealed that using marijuana to treat terminal bowel cancer was far more effective than chemotherapy treatment.

Thereafter, Lucy founded the advocacy group United in Compassion. The group opened a petition that urged the Australian government to make medical use of marijuana legal.

The petition received close to 300,000 signatures, and has been described as the most successful petition to have been launched in Australia.

Therefore, when the new measure on the plant was announced, Senator Richard Di Natale brought up Daniel’s story before the floor of Parliament. He praised Lucy for fighting for other patients who are currently facing situations that are similar to her late son’s.

“It is incredibly fitting that today we are passing this bill which is one step towards making medicinal cannabis accessible to people like Dan.

Thank you to Lucy for everything you have done. Please know that your family’s grief, pain and suffering has not been in vain and this is a legacy that Dan will leave here in Parliament” Senator Di Natale said.

Although the plant has been legalized for medical use, regulations still need to be put in place, and production licenses need to be applied before production can officially begin in Australia.

The health minister also reminded people that the changes would not affect recreational marijuana, which still remains illegal.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, since it was previously illegal to grow and import medicinal marijuana products, some patients bought the products on the black market, and they were constantly prosecuted for drug use and possession.

This new change in the law brings some sort of relief to them.

According to research, the marijuana plant contains more than 400 individual chemicals, making the plant one of the most powerful on earth.